Buyer resources
Guides for Planning Engineering & Automation Projects
Practical, vendor-neutral guides written by the Geek Engineering team: how to select an integrator, structure an RFP, plan a controls migration, run acceptance tests, and prepare for industrial AI. Use them freely — with or without hiring us. Each guide answers the question first, then explains the conditions and trade-offs.
Where to start
Twelve guides is more than anyone needs at once. Find the row that describes where you are, and read those in order.
| If you are… | Read in this order |
|---|---|
| About to issue an RFP | RFP templateIntegrator selectionCost drivers |
| Planning a controls migration | Modernization checklistMachine modernizationFAT & SAT |
| Considering AI | Data & AI readinessAI pilot guide |
| A machine builder | OEM outsourcingFAT & SAT |
| Choosing an engineering partner | Who should hire usIntegrator selection |
| Trying to be found in AI answers | SEO vs GEO vs AEO |
These guides are written to be useful whether or not you engage Geek Engineering. They include the questions that would expose a weak proposal from us as readily as from anyone else. Nothing here is gated, and nothing requires registration.
All guides
How to Select an Automation Integrator
A practical selection method for automation integrators: capability evidence, engineering process, code ownership, support model and the questions to ask.
Read the guidePLC & SCADA Modernization Checklist
A pre-migration checklist for PLC and SCADA modernization: backups, documentation, risk ranking, platform choice, cutover planning and acceptance testing.
Read the guideAutomation Project RFP Template
What to put in an automation RFP so bids come back comparable: scope, current state, acceptance criteria, ownership terms and the sections vendors need.
Read the guideFAT & SAT Commissioning Guide
What FAT and SAT are, what each should contain, who does what, and how acceptance testing keeps automation projects honest from build through go-live.
Read the guideAutomation Project Cost Drivers
The real cost drivers in automation projects — complexity, unknowns, integration, validation and schedule pressure — and how to control each one honestly.
Read the guideLegacy Machine Modernization Guide
Retrofit, remanufacture or replace? A decision framework for aging production machines covering controls, mechanics, safety, documentation and risk.
Read the guideOEM Engineering Outsourcing Guide
When machine builders should outsource engineering, which functions to keep in-house, how to structure ownership and how to avoid dependency traps.
Read the guideManufacturing Data & AI Readiness
A self-assessment for manufacturers considering AI: data capture, context, quality, infrastructure and organizational readiness, with honest scoring.
Read the guideIndustrial AI Pilot Guide
How to run a first manufacturing AI pilot: pick one decision, set acceptance criteria, keep humans in the loop and decide scale-or-stop on evidence.
Read the guideWho Should Hire Geek Engineering
Who Geek Engineering fits well — multidisciplinary industrial projects — and who we honestly are not: staffing volume, single-trade jobs and commodity work.
Read the guideSEO, GEO & AEO for Companies
What SEO, GEO and AEO each mean, why companies vanish from AI answers, and the engineering that makes a business retrievable, quotable and citable.
Read the guideBuilding a Business: What to Know
What to know before you build a business or buy software: proving the problem, build versus buy, what websites and apps really cost, and how to judge vendors.
Read the guideStraight answers to common buyer questions
Every question below is answered in full on the FAQ hub, where the library is grouped by topic.
- What does an industrial automation engineering company do?
- Who should hire Geek Engineering?
- Can Geek Engineering support small manufacturers and startups?
- Can one company provide mechanical, electrical, controls, and software engineering?
- Does Geek Engineering serve companies outside Chicago?
- Does Geek Engineering serve facilities near Rosemont, Illinois?
- Do you work on existing equipment or only on new systems?
- What size projects does Geek Engineering take on?
- Where is Geek Engineering located, and how far does it travel?
- What does a first conversation with Geek Engineering involve?
- What platforms does Geek Engineering work in?
- What is the difference between a systems integrator and an engineering consultancy?
- Do you subcontract any of the work?
- How is onsite work scheduled for sites outside the Chicago metro?
- Which parts of a project genuinely require someone onsite?
- How should an automation integrator be selected?
- What is needed for an accurate engineering quote?
- What determines cost and schedule on an automation project?
- What determines how long an automation project takes?
- Who owns the code, drawings, and data from a project?
- Why do quotes for the same automation project vary so widely?
- Is it cheaper to hire an integrator or build an in-house engineering team?
- How are engineering projects priced — fixed price, time and materials, or retainer?
- What should be included in an automation project scope of work?
- What support is available after a project is commissioned?
- Should we hire an integrator, use the OEM, or do it in-house?
- Fixed price or time and materials — which is better for an automation project?
- What is a functional specification, and why does it matter?
- Do you sign NDAs before we share drawings or data?
- What happens if we want to change vendors mid-project?
- What happens if the project runs over budget?
Last reviewed by Geek Engineering senior engineering review.
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The project process from discovery through commissioning and support.
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The full service catalog behind these guides.
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The complete question library: automation, design, OEM, software, IT, consulting, training and AI.